Keith Hernandez labels Tampa Bay Rays branding change as woke

During a New York Mets series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field this week, Mets analyst Keith Hernandez described the Tampa Bay franchise's historical name change as "woke." The comment occurred during a television broadcast while the booth discussed the team's transition from the "Devil Rays" to the "Rays" in 2007. Broadcasters Gary Cohen and Ron Darling noted the original name referred to a type of fish, though Cohen acknowledged it faced criticism for perceived religious connotations. The Tampa Bay franchise officially dropped "devil" from its name nearly two decades ago following internal evaluations of the brand. The team experienced immediate success after the rebrand, winning 97 games and reaching the World Series in its first season under the new identity.

• 3:00 PMYahoo Sports — Keith Hernandez chides Tampa Bay Rays for being ‘woke’